Brassiere



A. SILVAIN BRASSIERE Dec. 5, 1950 Filed April 16, 1947 Patented Dec. 5, 1 950 2,533,060 BRASSIERE Andr Silvain, Roubaix, France Application April 16, 1947, Serial No. 741,816 In France November 26, 1942 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires November 26, 1962 2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to brassieres.

It has already been proposed to make up those parts of brassieres that are required to permit a degree of extension from bias materials, which is slow and also expensive particularly by reason of the resulting losses of material.

Further, it has been proposed to bind the edges of such parts by means of woven bands known as ribbon or serge. The chief disadvantage of such bands is that they are not extensible so that the bands cannot be applied to the edges of highly is curved parts, particularl around the breast pockets, without providing in the bands numerous pleats or darts which complicate the work and have an ungraceful efiect.

Attempts have been made to replace these Woven bands by bands of elastic fabric, but in addition to the latter having practically unlimited elasticity and thereby tending to the tearing of the underlying fabric, it was not possible for reasons of presentability and good taste to apply them over the Whole length of the front parts of the brassiere that are subject to stretching, because those parts would require to be gathered to accommodate themselves to the stretching of the elastic binding.

The present invention provides an improved brassiere by which these various disadvantages are avoided.

A brassiere according to the invention is characterised in that it is provided around, at the edge of, or on the front parts intended to fit the curved form, with one or more knitted bands of any suitable textile secured to the base material of the brassire by an extensible stitched seam, either of fast stitches in a zig-zag or lozenge shaped course, or of inherently extensible stitches such as zig-zag stitches or chain stitches. The bands may be knitted on a rectilinear or circular frame in chain-stitch or look-stitch (interlock).

This novel application to brassieres of knitted bands, while reinforcing edge-bound parts, allows them an extensibility not obtainable with bands of Woven tape, the said extensibility moreover having the notable characteristic of being limited to that proper to knitted fabric, which obviates any possibility of tearing of the base fabric (tulle, lace, cambric or the like) of the brassiere.

According to a modification, the same effect is obtained by binding, surrounding or covering those parts of the brassiere that require to accommodate themselves to a degree of extension, with plaited or braided bands, which, as regards extensibility, are substantially equivalent to knitted bands.

By reason of their extensibility in breadth as well as in length, knitted or plaited or braided bands can be applied without pleats or darts to parts of high curvature, particularly to the peripheries of the breast pockets.

The improved brassiere affords perfect modelling to the breasts even and especially when they are of a fullness greater than the relaxed pockets, and this without any risk of cutting the flesh.

The edge-binding may be applied along the lower edge or waist-band of the brassiere, along the upper edge at the back and about the whole peripheries of the pockets; the entire surface of the latter may even be covered with a knitted band, for example, coiled in a spiral.

By Way of example, an embodiment of the invention is illustrated on the accompanying drawing whereon the single figure shows the brassiere flat, as seen from the inner side.

Reference a designates the or one of the bands,

@l knitted from any textile (cotton, wool, rayon,

fibranne, etc.) and applied as edging or on the parts intended to fit closely the curved form. In the example, these bands are shown applied along the lower edge or waist-band c of the brassiere and around the breast pockets 1) whence they can be prolonged to form the shoulder straps.

The obverse surface of each pocket may also, as shown in chain-dotted lines at a be entirely covered by means of such a band, for example, coiled in a spiral, contiguous or otherwise, or equally by means of several circular bands.

Moreover, a band a can also be provided along the upper edge of the back d and continue along the transverse edge 01 of the back portions.

The bands at are secured to the base material ,1 of the brassiere (of tulle, lace, cambric or other material, reinforced in places, for example at s, by satin) by extensible stitched seams p, either in fast stitches following a zig-zag or lozenge shaped path, executed by means of an ordinary sewing machine, or in stitches individually extensible, executed with an embroidery or chain-stitching machine, or any other modern machine, as commonly employed in the hosiery trade, making extensible stitches.

What has been stated concerning the arrangement and securing of knitted bands on the base fabric of the brassire, applies also to plaited and braided bands. They can be applied particularly along the lower edge or waist-band of the brassiere, along the edges of the back, about the peripheries of the breast pockets and even over the surface of the latter. And they too can be secured on the base fabric of the brassire by extensible stitched seams, either of fast stitches following a. zig-zag or lozenge shaped-course, formed bymeans of an ordinary sewing machine, or of stitches inherently extensible, formed with an embroidery stitch machine or a chain stitch, machine.

It is to be understood that the present invention would be neither exceeded norderogatedby the fact of applying to brassires knitted bands presenting intercalated parts knitted from elastic thread, instead of unitary bands of knitted tape.

I claim:

1. In a brassire a breast supporting unit comprising in combination a breast pocket; a knitted binding band having a-certain limited stretchability in longitudinal direction of said band; and extensible stitches. extensibly securing said binding band along the edge of said breast pocket circumferentially encircling at least part of said breast pocket.

2. A brassiere comprising in combination two breast pockets secured at their inner edges to each other; two body portions each secured at one end to the outer edge of one of the breast pockets; means for attaching said body portions at their other ends to each other; and two binding bands having a certain limited stretchability in longitudinal direction, eachof said bands extensiblyrsecuredalongthe edge of one of the breast pockets circumferentially encircling the same and having a free end portion secured at its other end to the rear end of the corresponding body portion so as to form a shoulder strap.

ANDRE SILVAIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the filetof this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,948,670 Mueller ,Feb 27, 1934 2,074,796 Mason Mar. 23, 1937 2,323,717 Lewis July 6,1943

FOREIGN PATENTS 7 Number Country Date 796,569 France Jan. 27', 1936 

